Tractor mounted crane



Feb. 6, 1940. R. 6. LE TOURNEAU 2,189,426

TRACTOR MOUNTED CRANE Filed Aug. 15, 1938 3 Sheets$heet l INVENTOR R61 6 Tour/760a BY Qwgmm;

ATTORN EY Feb. 6, 1940.

R. G. LE TOURNEAU TRACTOR MOUNTED CRANE Filed Aug. 15, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR R. 6. Le Tourneau ATTORNEY Fb. 6, 1940. 'R. 6. LE TOURNEAU TRACTOR MOUNTED CRANE Filed Aug. 15, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR R. GLeZburneau BY Q E Patented Feb. 6, 1940 um'rso ST'ATEIS moron. momma calms:

some a. he 16mm, Peoria, 111., assignor to R. G. Le Tournean, Inc., a corporation of Calltornla Application sum 15, ms, Serial No. 224,911

1 Claims. (cl. sis-en ingrelation with the power plant thereof. The

This invention relates to cranes, and particularly to one of a light-duty type, adapted to be mounted on a tractor and especially designed for use in picking up bundles of sugar cane in the 5 field, though the crane is by no means limited to such use.

The crane includes a turnable mast and a boom connected together as a rigid unit, and the main object of the invention is to so mount and control the operation of this unit that the mast at the base is kept entirely clear of projections; operating cables and the like which might interfere with the lifting and manipulation of relatively long bundles, while enabling theoverhang of the boom to be relatively short. I

- A further object of the invention is toproduce 'a simple and inexpensive device and yet one. which will be exceedingly effective for the pur- Y pose for which it is designed.

so These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of'the-following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar charac of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views: Figure -l is a side-elevation of my improved crane showing the same as mounted on a tractor.

Figure 2is a top plan view of the structure detached; v v

" Figure 3, is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section of. thejmast and boom.

Figure 4 isv a fragmentary sectional plane showing. the entry of one" of the mast swing cables into a beam of the supporting framework. I .Figure 5 is a similar-view showing the entry of one of the liftingcables into said beam. Referring now more particularly-to the characters of reference-onthe drawings. the crane comprises a pair of horizontal hollow side beams I connected as a rigid unit at front and back by '2, This unit-is desired heightabove the tractor I on. which the structure is mounted by uprights]. depending from the front corners, and other uprights I. depending from the rear corners The uprights are secured at their lower ,endon frame of the tractor in any suitable nner; the length of the beams l and 3 being ntially the same as the length and width respectively of the'tractor. Another crossbeam I connects the beams I adjacent the bottom, the beam I being disposed somewhat rearwardly of the rear crossbeam 2.

A number of power control units or power winches,- one of which is indicated at I; are,

,' mounted at thefront endofthe tractor in drivpair of vertically spaced clrc 'tained 'at. a

'operation of said units is controlled by the driver of the tractor from his seat thereon by levers l disposed in depending relation to the frame beams l and connected to the diiferent power units by 5 linkage and lever connections s. The mast it, which is located directly behind the tractor centrally thereof,, is of tubular form. and is mounted at its ends on top and bottom antifriction bearings H and- I 2. The bottom member of the 10 lower bearing is directly supported from the lower crossbeam 0 while the top member of the upper bearing is supported from a plate it projecting rearwardlyfrom the upperrear crossbeam 2.,

The boom ll. in the form of a single hollow 1g of the mast to a connection withalarge circular turntable ll rigid with the mast; adjacent its upperend." The turntable provided with a erential grooves-28 II to receive operating cables it. These cables- 1 extend about the grooves from 'opposite direc-v tions, being secured at one'end on the turntable, and then leave the grooves at the front-at a tangent ,and pass through the corresponding beams l, as shown in Fi 4.- At the front end-of the beams, each of said cables passes about a direction chan ing pulley II and thence to the corresponding power. unit. Thecables is are preventedfrom leaving their grooves by means of an endless guard band 2i disposed about the turntable and mounted rigid with the rear crossbeam 2: the brace member it making connection with the turntable from below as "shown in Fig. 3. Theboom may thus be swung through a are of 40 substantially 180,and it will be seent at the turntable as well as the operatingcabla are well clear of the lower end of the mast. Besides, the cables areienclosed where they extend along thev "tractor, and do not interfere in" any way with the movements of the operator, nor are they'a source ofdanger in the event of. breakage.

The lifting hooks",- of'whichthere are two,

are supported from separate lift cables 23.

These pass upwardly over sheaves I! hung to the s'idesof the boom from a supporting sleeve 28 adiustably, slidable alo'ngthe horizontal portion ll of the boom. Each cable then passes over a pulley 26 mounted on the side. of theboom adjacentthe forward end of portion Il then down to the mast and over another pulley 21 fixed on the mast between the boom and brace member. The pulley 21 projects into the hollow interior of the mast to adjacent the axis thereof. The cable extends upwardly from said pulley inside the mast, through an opening in the top bearing II,- and over a direction changing pulley 28 fixed on plate l3. The pulley 28 extends in a lateral direction so that the cable after passing over said pulley also extends toward one side of the structure. The cable then extends about another direction changing pulley 29 fixed on the rear crossbeam just back of the corresponding side beam I in such relation thereto that the cable enters the beam inwardly of the adjacent cable l9 as shown by a comparison of Figs. 4.and 5. At the front end of beam I, cable 23 passes down to its power control unit over a final direction changing pulley 30 disposed alongside the adjacent pulley 20.

It will thus be seen that the two lift cables may be independently manipulated, and as is the case with the boom swing cables, the lift cables, for the length of the tractor, are completely enclosed and are out of the way. The leading of the lift cables into and then out of the mast at the top enables the boom to be swung without any appreciable movement of the lift cables.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by letters Patent is:

1. A crane comprising a tumable mast, a boom rigid therewith, said boom having a horizontal portion at its rear end, a pair of separate laterally spaced lift cables, separate direction changing pulleys about which the cables pass, and a sleeve slidablymounted on said horizontal portion of the boom and from which both said pulleys are directly supported in laterally spaced relation.

2. A crane comprising a mast, a boom projecting therefrom, means adapted to be mounted on a tractor at one end turnably supporting the mast, a turntable mounted on the mast, said turntable being formed with a pair of vertically spaced grooves about its outer periphery, a pair of pull cables anchored at one end on the turntable and extending about the grooves from opposite sides of the turntable, said cables projecting from the turntable tangent thereto, and a fixed band about and adjacent the grooved portion of the turntable, said band having openings through which the tangential portions of the cables pass.

3. A crane comprising a supporting structure which includes hollow side beams, means to mount said beams lengthwise on and above a tractor, a mast at one end of the structure, means between the structure and the mast turnably supporting the mast at its ends, a boom supported by the mast, a turntable rigid with the mast on the same level as said beams and substantially the same diameter as the spacing between the beams, pull cables projecting through the beams to and wrapped about the turntable from opposite sides thereof, a lift cable supported from the boom and means including direction changing pulleys training said cable from the boom through one of said beams so as not to interfere with the swinging of the boom.

4. A crane comprising a supporting structure which includes side beams one of which is hollow, means to mount said beams lengthwise on a tractor, a mast turnably supported on said structure at one end thereof, a boom supported by the mast, control means to rotate the mast, a lift cable supported from the boom and means including direction changing pulleys training said cable from the boom through the hollow beam so as not to interfere with the swinging of the boom.

- 5. A crane comprising a hollow tumable mast, a boom supported from the mast, mounting means for both ends of the mast, said means at the upper end of the mast including a fixed plate overhanging the top of the mast and having an opening concentric with and communicating with the interior of the mast, a lift cable supported by the boom, a direction changing Pulley on the mast below its upper end and training said cable into the mast and a fixed direction changing pulley on said mounting plate above the mast to and about which the cable extends from said mast pulley, said plate pulley being substantially tangent on one side to the axis of the mast.

6. A crane comprising a hollow mast, means to turnably mount the mast on the rear end of a tractor so that the lower end of the mast is relatively close to the ground, a boom supported by the mast, a lift cable depending from the outer end of the boom, a pulley secured on the mast intermediate its ends and projecting into the hollow interior thereof, and a fixed direction changing pulley mounted above and overhanging the mast, the cable extending from the boom and into the mast about the first named pulley, and then up in the mast to and about said direction changing pulley for engagement with a control unit.

7. A crane and operating mechanism therefor comprising a boom, means to mount the boom on a tractor at the rear end thereof and including a frame member adapted to be disposed at. a predetermined level above the tractor, a lift cable for the boom, a power control unit including a drum for said cable adapted to be co mounted on the front end of the tractor and means to control the unit including a lever supported and depending from the frame member v in front of the operator's seat on the tractor.

ROBERT (1.. LE TOURNEAU. 

